Jenny Kessler Klump

That is the number 1 question I get when talking to friends, family and acquaintances anymore. It's a valid question and good conversation starter. Right now my answer is a cheery smile, a small laugh and... "well, I've gotta graduate first!" I may be laughing it off, but as the time ticks ever closer - and my bank account drops lower and lower - finding a job after graduation is on my mind.

Please indulge me in a small rant. As we are all well aware, the job market sucks right now. It has for the last two years. When I started college, recent graduates were turning DOWN job offers. As of now, only 2 of the 40 people in my class currently have full time jobs post graduation. That is 1/20th of my class - the soon to be graduates of one the one of the best programs in the country.

DesignIntelligence consistently ranks UC's program high because of the co-op program, which gives students paid professional experience working in the field, and helps to build resumes and occasionally turns into full time positions down the road. We're all graduating with 18 months of paid professional experience under our belts. In five years, I've worked at three well known and well respected architecture firms in the Cincinnati area. I've done free lance consulting and design work. I started the student chapter of IIDA at UC. I'm a writer. I volunteer. On top of all that, I've got the knowledge and skill set using cutting edge technology for my trade, and I'm good at it. I'm creative and passionate, and I am itching to use my experience and talents at a place that will help me to grow, where I can do amazing things.

Under normal circumstances, these qualifications would surely get my foot in the door somewhere. The one thing my classmates and I don't have right now is multiple years of experience. And unfortunately, with so many professionals in the architecture world being laid off, experience is the key that is opening doors. Nearly all the open positions I've researched are asking for registered designers with 5-8 years of experience or more. Employers know these people are out there, and they can afford to be picky.

This puts my class in a quandary. We can't get a job without experience, but we can't get experience without a job. It's a frustrating circle. These people who have been laid off, at least they have unemployment to fall back on. I am graduating with nothing but the promise of student loans coming due. Not only that, but there are professionals being laid off who don't want gaps in their resume, so they are applying for (and getting) unpaid internships. This sets a terrible example for firms, who then get the impression they can "hire" workers, have them do the same amount of work as a full time employee, and reap the benefits for free.

Everyone says that Gen Y suffers from a sense of entitlement, that we feel we don't have to work for what we're given, and that we don't know how to handle rejection. From March 2009 to September 2009, I applied to nearly 70 firms in the hopes of landing a co-op job for the summer and fall in locations all over the country. I got two interviews and one job.

My fall co-op experience was me doing part free-lance graphic design work and interior consulting, part contract work for a construction firm, and part designing for / managing a condo project in downtown Cincinnati. All of these opportunities I obtained through my personal network, not through the school's co-op program. Rejection and I are on a first name basis, and I'm prepared to face even more of it as I continue my search. This isn't a bad thing, and has made me more resilient and forced me to look way outside the box in terms of gaining experience and making money.

My graduating class has worked unbelievably hard to get where we are right now, and it's going to pay off eventually. I'm confident we're going to do amazing things, and just have to get through this rough time.

So, what AM I doing after graduation? The lease on my house isn't up til September, so hopefully I can get it figured out by then! I will be applying for a part time job in the area and continuing to free lance during the summer while I apply to jobs and continue making connections with potential employers. Every day and every person I meet and connect with is another new opportunity. So, if you hear of anything... please, send it my way!

This past Thursday evening I attended a seminar sponsored by the UC Women's Center entitled "$tart $mart." It is a workshop teaching college age women about the need to benchmark and negotiating a starting salary. I have taken 20 weeks worth of classes on Professional Practice, and I learned more in Thursday's 3 hour session than I did during both of those classes. This information is too important NOT to share. So, here you have it:

(image link)
Start Smart originated by the group Women Are Getting Even (WAGE) and the AAUW. Their aim is to educate others about wage discrimination in the United States, (yes it still happens) and inform and empower women to stand up for the compensation we deserve.

Women make, on average, .77 to every $1 an equally qualified man makes in the workplace. That may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. Over a life time, a working woman will potentially make 1.2 MILLION dollars less than her male counterpart.

One. Point. Two. Million. Dollars. What the HELL??

If a man and woman start on the same career track in the same position, but the man negotiates to get a bigger salary, he will consistently make more across the board. His bonus will be bigger, pension will be bigger, and every raise will catapult his salary higher and higher. Add in deeply rooted stereotypes (albeit sometimes unintentional) and lower expectations on the woman's part ( "I don't need as much", "I'm not as well qualified", "I want to be liked so I won't make a fuss") and you have a formula that is unfair and needs to be changed.

It starts with the first salary after graduation. Oh hey, I'm graduating in June... so this is pretty flipping relevant to me.

The way to get what you deserve in the workplace is to know what you deserve to be making in the workplace. Wageproject.org is a website that catalogs salary and benefits for practically every job in the US, and lists high, low, and average salaries in a particular location. So for a beginning interior design position in Cincinnati, the average salary is about $38,000. This is good info to know, especially since in the workshop we calculated a basic budget coming out to approximately $32,000 a year. Eep!

When you know what the median salary for your potential position is, set that as your benchmark salary goal for the position. If you're qualified for the job, you deserve the money! Do not let the economy scare you into settling for a salary. It will hurt you in the long run.

It's also important to know about and negotiate your benefits. Sometimes a lower pay will be worth it if the benefits (health, life, disability insurance, 401K contibutions, paid time off, vacations) are good. But if you don't know, you can't negotiate!

After you benchmark your target salary, you know what you are worth in the marketplace. Be prepared to justify the reasons behind the salary you want. Employers admire someone who has a clear understanding of their worth and how to explain it.

We also learned how to negotiate a salary, with tips and tricks, do's and don'ts.

* If you are filling out a job application, do NOT fill in a desired salary if it is requested. Put something like "negotiable." If it's online and you can't proceed until filling it out, then put 2% above your midpoint salary. But only if you absolutely have to.

* You can only start negotiating your salary AFTER you have a job offer. Not a peep about it before they want you to work for them. After they've offered you the job, they are invested in you and will be willing to discuss your needs.

* It's all about your tone. Be positive - you're starting a professional relationship with this person, no need to get defensive. It's a conversation. Don't be emotional. Be persuasive - put all the research you've done to use and let them know why you deserve to be paid what you deserve to be paid. But also be flexible - Know what you want (your target), but know what you need (the absolute minimum you've decided you need to live on). Listen to your employer's needs and brainstorm ways to meet their needs and your goals.

* Tactics: Let them offer a number first. Don't be the first to offer. Aim high, but be realistic. If you've got the skills, you deserve the money, honey. Tell them why!! Do your homework on the company and organization, so you know how you can fufill your employer's needs from Day 1.

* Tips: Sell yourself! - Don't assume they've read your resume, so be prepared to go through it and highlight specifics. Anticipate any objections they may throw your way. Be prepared to listen, and respond with how you can help them. And seriously... don't get personal.

An employer is looking for an assessment of your ability to get their job done and how you fit within their organization. They don't need or want a sob story of how badly you need the job.

If you get an offer, don't accept it right away. Don't be afraid to have a discussion. If they refuse to budge on the money you need, be prepared to walk. It wasn't the right choice anyway. Be sure to ask hard questions.

The bottom line: If you don't ask, you won't get it. You are not a bitch for asking for the money you deserve. Be knowledgeable. Be honest. Be professional. You'll come out ahead.

The UC Women's Center is an amazing resource, and they are super helpful if you have any questions or want any more information on this and other women's issues. You can go to their website or check them out on campus at 571 Steger (right next to Subway.)